Downton Abbey returned for its fifth-season debut Sunday on par with its premiere numbers a year ago. Season five returned to 10.1 million viewers in live-plus-same-day returns on PBS, nearly matching the 10.2 million who tuned in to season four’s return. The critically praised series continues to deliver strong live viewership despite the fact that it airs three months earlier in the U.K., a clear sign that its American fanbase isn’t turning to illegal channels to catch episodes. From 9-10:15 p.m. Sunday, PBS was the most watched network based on weighted metered market program averages.
